Heart
by Moon's-Wing
Summary: 'Hitsugaya wasn't sure what to expect. According to Ukitake, she should have passed happily, but if she had been reincarnated, and was demanding to see him, that assumption could be less than accurate.'


"Hitsugaya-taichou," she says weakly. Her eyes barely open, but I can see the dimming hue. "It was you... who found me." Tears are in those eyes now.

"Quite, Kuchiki. Save your energy."

"I'm... so happy..."

"We'll be back soon; just save your energy." I hate repeating myself, but I do so willingly now.

"I'm sorry, Taichou."

"What for?" I shouldn't ask; you never ask someone that question when they're this close to death, whether they make it or not.

"I can't obey that order..."

"Kuchiki," I warn.

"But I'm still happy," she says. Is she actually trying to cheer me up? "I c-can keep my promise. And to be able... to leave... our hearts with you... it makes me so happy..." she trails off, tears now free flowing down her cheeks. I stop now; her body has begun to fragment away. Even Unohana-taichou wouldn't be able to do anything.

"Kuchiki..."

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"Ah! Hitsugaya-taichou! What can I do for you today?" Ukitake taichou greeted the tensai at his office the next morning.

"Would you be able to spare a moment?"

"Of course! If this is about the candy I gave you last-"

"Assuredly not."

The older man took note of the dark look in the shorter's complacent eyes. "This is about Rukia, isn't it?"

"Yes. She said something... a bit strange before she died."

"Ah. I heard it was you who finally found the poor creature. What was it she said?"

"She said she was happy, because she could keep her promise. That she could..." he flushed slightly, "leave 'our hearts' with me."

"Ah. That reeks of Kaien."

The other quickly searched his memory. "Kaien Shiba?"

"Yes. She joined my division before he died. He held a held a very strong belief, felt it to the point he made every other member of the divsion, especially those he was close to, promise him one thing: To never die alone."

"What was this belief of his?" the tensai asked stiffly, a bit annoyed that someone, dead now or not, was pushing their beliefs around on other people.

"Just as those alive believe in souls without much evidence, Kaien believed in heart; in bonds, specifically. He felt one's heart did not nessecarily belong to themselves, but should be shared with one's nakama. And if one died alone, where would that heart go?"

"So he asked them to have someone around when they died to leave that heart with."

"Mm. And he ended up leaving his with Rukia; I can't even image how upset she would have been had she not been able to pass it on. You did her a great service just by finding her, Hitsugaya-taichou."

The shorter swallowed hard. "As you say. Excuse me."

"Hitsugaya-taichou," Ukitake-taichou called after him. "I do hope you're not doing anything foolish."

"Foolish?"

"Such as holding yourself in blame for her death."

Toushiro shut the door tightly behind him. There was someone else he needed to see. A couple someone else's.

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"I have already heard what you've come to tell me."

The 10th Division taichou fought back the urge to bite his lip at the harsh 'greeting.' "I had thought as much, Kuchiki-taichou, I merely wished to offer my symphathies... as well as apologies."

"And you have. Take your leave."

After a respectful bow, he did.

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"Kurosaki."

"Hey! Toushiro!" the teen greeted the gigai-clad taichou on his way home. "What are you doing here?"

"I need to speak with you."

An orange eyebrow arched slightly at the lack of a correction and sullen tone. "Sure."

It was nearing sunset; not many people were around. "It's about Rukia Kuchiki."

"Aw, crap; what'd she do now?"

"Kurosaki, she... died."

"...What?"

"Died. On duty."

"How can she die, she's already dead?" Stage one, denail- moving right in on stage two, anger.

"Soul Society is merely one point of death; you know that."

"What's gonna happen to her now?" His hazel eyes were downcast, looking at the ground, past the other. Right past stage three (bargaining) and face-first into stage four (depression).

"We don't know any more than most people here know about Soul Society."

"So there might be people that know."

"Perhaps," the tensai admitted. "You'd be hard up to try and find some who'd admit it, though."

"...I suppose. Thanks for coming to tell me, Toushiro."

Before the shorter could reply; Ichigo had already stood and was walking away. Hitsugaya sighed. Hopefully the shinigami sub would be into acceptance by morning. He was already miles ahead of Byakuya.

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Toushiro didn't deal with emotion well. Even he himself was more than aware of this fact. He did, in fact, deal with it- just in a very unhealthy way; he did everything he could to never think about the incident again. He had informed Ichigo himself, he felt he should do that much, knowing how close they had been, and talked to Byakuya Kuchiki, but that was done, and he saw no further reason dwell on it, even if his subconcious felt the need to make him relive it some nights. Time moved on, as was its habit, and little by little, the pain and self blame did lessen.

One random day, Rangiku burst through the office door with a photo. "Taichou! Look! Look! You'll never believe this! Ichigo had a little girl!"

The tensai did look up, though with confusion. "He what?" That idiot was male, last he knew.

"I told you when he got married, weren't you listening?"

He searched his memory. Nada. "Did you tell me while I was working?"

"Like you ever leave that desk," she replied dismissively.

That was a definate 'yes.' "Whatever." He did wish she'd stop doing that; there may come a time she actually had something important to say and he'd miss it because he'd think she was just blabbering on as usual.

"Look, Taichou! She's so cute!" He backed against his chair when the photo was thrust into his face. After pushing her hand back a few inches, his eyes ajusted. There was that idiot, grinning like a fool, some girl with dark hair that looked very tired, and a newborn. "They named her Rukia. Isn't that SO SWEET?"

He stiffened. "Wonderful. Might I get something done now since you refuse to help? Or maybe you've changed your-" He didn't finish; he didn't need to. The fukutaichou was already gone.

Sweet, sweet silence.

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For whatever the reason, Rangiku felt the need to share each and every picture of Ichigo's child she could get her paws on. Hitsugaya was fairly certain it was either a 'girl thing' or just Matsumoto losing her mind. One would think she was the mother with the way she flaunted the pictures around. He himself never paid much attention to them.

He didn't hear anything from the baby's father until she had just turned fifteen, and the man looked nervous.

Ichigo never looked nervous, but Toushiro was not gifted with much patience.

"Will you just spit it out already?"

"Rukia, my daughter Rukia, wants to see you."

"...What?"

"She demanding it, actually."

"...Why?"

"Well, cus I'm pretty sure she- wait, haven't you been looking at the pictures Rangiku-san keeps bringing over?"

The taichou scoffed.

"Oh, right. Well, you should have been, cus she's the spitting image of Rukia Kuchiki."

Toushiro stopped moving. "Kurosaki... what are you saying?"

"She knows a lot of things only me and Rukia knew; things I haven't even told Tatsuki. My fifteen year old daughter remembers, clear as day, beating the shit outta me. On several occasions. Occasions that happened before I got married, let alone she was born."

"...Why does she want to see me?"

"Fuck if I know! She locked herself in her room and won't come out. I tried coming in the window, she slammed it shut on my fingers!"

The tensai snorted. Nice.

"So you comin' or what?"

He took a deep breath, letting it out slowly. "...I suppose."

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Hitsugaya wasn't sure what to expect. According to Ukitake, she should have passed happily, but if she had been reincarnated, and was demanding to see him, that assumption could be less than accurate.

He followed the shinigami sub's shunpo through town all the same, a little surprised when they passed the clinic that had once been the other's home. 'He's got a family now, of course they don't live there still,' he scolded himself. Ichigo now lived two streets over, it seemed, in a smaller place, but this one wasn't doubling as a clinic, either. He skidded to a halt in front of it; the tensai did the same. As soon as the taller entered, behind him, Toushiro heard him yell.

"Dammit, Tatsuki, it's my body! That's gonna hurt me when I go back in!"

The taichou looked around, still following the young man. Indeed, a body that looked very much like Ichigo's was in a bloodied daze, beat up in the corner of the living room.

"You should be used to the pain by now," a female voice said. The newcomer looked up, she was a bit older, but he definately recognised her as one of Kurosaki's friends from school. Well, his wife now. "I've told you how much Kon gets on my nerves."

"What-the-fuck-ever," the orange haired male replied, then looked back over at Toushiro. "Upstairs, second room on the left."

The other gave a slight nod and headed upstairs. The moment he got to the door, it opened.

"Kuch- No, Kurosaki-san," he greeted her, trying to contain himself. Seeing those wide eyes again, and looking so shy, well, it was far better than the last time he'd beheld them.

"Rukia," she corrected, smiling softly. "Hello, Hitsugaya-taichou."

"Was there a reason you sent your father after me?"

"Yes. I know you're busy, and I do apologise, but can you stay a moment?"

"Of course," he replied. She opened the door the rest of the way, and he came in.

So. Many. Rabbits.

Posters, plushies, and a live one, black and white, in a cage alongside the wall of the room. Was this a phase or had she always been this obsessed with a single furry animal?

Once he was able to focus on something besides that, he noted the room was kept quite clean, and Rukia herself had taken a seat on her bed. Toushiro elected to remain standing. "What was it you wanted?" he asked cautiously.

"...To see you."

His eyebrows furrowed.

"Ah, Ukitake-taichou didn't tell you; I thought he might have after I died."

"If you mean about Kaien, he did."

"No, no, though I'm glad he did tell you about him; what I was on about must have been confusing, my apologies."

"Think nothing of it. What was it, then?"

"Always wanting to get right to the point." She smiled- his he lost the ability to breathe a moment. "What I was hoping Ukitake had told you, why I wanted to see you today, was because there was something I never got around to when I was alive last, and selfish though it is, I can't bear to do it to myself again." She paused, looking across the small room warily. "BUT I CAN DO SO WITHOUT SOMEONE LISTENING AT THE DOOR!" she yelled, and there was scuffling of feet running away fromt the door. Yeah, Toushiro had known the moron was there, but it didn't seem his place to bring attention to it.

"Anyway," she continued. "Hitsugaya-taichou, I asked him" (it was probably a little wierd to refer to Ichigo as her father if she remembered her past so vividly) "to bring you here because I have something to tell you; and I wanted to make sure I got to tell you this time." She paused again. "You may think this unfounded, since we don't know each other well, but... Hitsugaya-taichou, I... I love you."

Teal eyes went wide. Not only words he never thought he'd hear in his entire lifetime, but as she had said, from someone he barely knew.

"I- I more than understand if you have no response now, but it was something I had to say."

He felt himself give a nod, barely aware of the action.

"And as I am alive at the moment, well... I apologise if I what I've said is nothing but a burden to you, but it was the need to say that that wouldn't allow me to rest."

"...I... see." He paused, unsure how to continue for a few moments. Everything in him wanted to flee from this conversation- all except the part that wanted to know one thing. "Rukia... as even yourself has admitted, we barely know one another; how could you feel something so strongly for me?"

Her eyes met the floor for a moment. "The memories of you were always the strongest," she stated, and paused; she didn't seemed happy with the statement. "I didn't encounter you often, but when I did, it would always make my day. Just being around you made, makes, me so happy. You're asking why I love you, and I'm not sure I can answer that to your specifications."

Toushiro considered this. "Then answer it to yours."

She bit her lip; her eyes adverted again for a few seconds, then were back at him. "I think it started with admiration; you've accomplished so much in so little time. But then I got to be around you, not with you personally or anything, but at least in the same room when you were talking to others- I found myself really wanting to join those conversations."

"Then why didn't you?"

"...I didn't feel it was my place; stupid, really."

He was inclined to agree. "I'm going to take my leave now."

"...All right. Hitsugaya-taichou, please, just so I know... will I see you again? Before I die?"

"It... seems likely."

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After bidding Ichigo, Tatsuki, and of course Rukia, good bye, Toushiro flash stepped home on his own. His mind ran over the conversation that had just occured, then back to the last time they'd seen each other.

"I'm... so happy..."

"We'll be back soon; just save your energy."

He had felt a certain desperation to save her, but he'd brushed it off as the same thing anyone would feel trying to revive a fallen comrade. He'd even repeated himself, trying to get her to cooperate... would he have done that with anyone? He honestly wasn't sure; why he'd even done it at the time was a mystery to him. Was it...? Did he...?

He wasn't able to come up with a certain answer, but found himself watching the girl as the days went by. After a couple weeks, he knew her routine as well as she did. That was also around when Ichigo had him figured out.

"Are you stalking my daughter?" the shinigami sub asked him one afternoon. Said daughter was in class, the tensai was sitting on the roof of the school building.

"I wouldn't say that," the other replied, not looking at him.

"Then what would you say?"

"That I'm attempting to come to a conclusion."

"It's none of my business, but because it involves Rukia, I'm asking anyway. What happened in her room?"

"Nothing illegal."

"I would friggin' hope not! That didn't even cross my mind, with you with her!"

"Then why would you worry?"

A slight flush crossed the other man's cheeks; he really didn't want to voice what he apparently had to. "I just want to know what's going on with her. She won't say a word about it."

"It's her business."

"Come on Toushiro, don't do this to me."

"That's Hitsugaya-taichou." He sighed heavily. The poor guy was really losing his mind over this. "She... merely informed me of something and has been on my mind. Will you go now?"

"What'd she tell you?"

"It doesn't matter, Kurosaki. Leave me alone."

"Whatever it is, it's got the both of you acting like-" Realization dawned over him. "Rukia... does she have a crush on you?"

Dark crimson flushed over the shorter male. Ichigo began to laugh. "That's a relief. I was really worried for a bit there!"

"That's a relief?" the tensai repeated. "You're fine with your daughter wanting to date someone who's dead?"

"Stop makin' it sound nasty. It's not like you're a corpse. And Rukia isn't your adverage daughter; she's got a whole seperate history walking around with her. I have to be fine with that if I want her to stay in my life."

"So you'd rather she didn't."

"Don't put words in my mouth, you little snot."

"Little? Why you-" he began, standing.

"Hey, look! Class is out! Go say hi, Toushiro!" Ichigo yelled happily, kicking the other off the roof.

The taichou managed to catch himself, skidding to a halt in mid air, and even yell back, "That's Hitsugaya-taichou!"

The sub snickered and took off.

Hitsugaya sighed, then looked down, hoping luck was with him. It wasn't. Rukia was looking back up at him, a soft smile on her lips.

"Rukia-chan," another girl with her asked. "What are you looking at?"

"The sky's just so beautiful today, don't you think, Midori-chan?" she replied, not looking away from Toushiro.

"Oh, yeah, I guess..." she replied, taking a sort look at the blue skies. "Shouldn't we go home now?"

"You go on ahead."

"Ok, if you're sure. See you later."

"See you," Rukia smiled, and waved as her friend parted. She looked back up at the taichou. "Hey, stalker."

"You probably shouldn't be talking to the sky," he advised.

She shrugged, then continued on her way.

Toushiro followed her.

She walked to the park, and found a place where they could talk amoungst some trees surrounding it. Rukia took a seat, but Toushiro remained standing. The silence sat, dampening them for a few moments; niether seemed to know how to start.

"Did I see Ichigo on the school roof with you?" the female suddenly asked.

"You did," he told her. "I can't believe he lets you call him by his first name."

"I only do it when he's not around, and when I do call him 'Dad,' it's heavily laden in sarcasm."

The tensai chuckled. Silence settled on them once more; albeit a more peaceful one. Toushiro sat down beside her.

"I've been thinking about our conversation."

"In a good way or a bad way?"

"I don't know yet."

"Hitsugaya-taichou," she muttered. "I apologise if what I've said has done nothing more than upset you."

"I wouldn't say it upset me," he replied.

"What would you say?" she asked when he didn't continue.

"That you confused me," he admitted after a moment. "We don't know each other, you've even said as much. How could you possibly...?"

"I believe I answered that one already," she smiled softly.

"Yes, you did. It's just not logical," he said, eyebrows knitting together.

She chuckled. "Emotions rarely are."

"I suppose that's true." After a moment, he changed the subject. "Have you thought about being a shinigami again?" he asked her.

"You've met the man who's technically my father, right?"

He scoffed. "Still overly-protective, I see."

"Yes. It's not his intention to restrain me, just as it was never Nii-sama's, but..."

"Do you have homework?"

"Eternally. But it's the weekend."

"Get it done tonight, meet me at Urahara's at noontime tommorrow."

Rukia jumped up. "Of course, Hitsugaya-taichou."

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The two continued spending time together, and not just to train Rukia. Toushiro began to find her easy-going attitude quite addictive; until now, that trait had always been an irritant to him. Rukia knew when to reel herself in though, unlike a certain fukutaichou.

And beautiful. When she was concentrating, she was in a different world; those violet eyes seemed piercing as she struggled to accomplish whatever it was she was learning. And how they softened with joy whenever he praised her, no matter how minimal the comment was.

"Some No Mai: Hakuren!" Ice stretched out at least twenty feet from her blade. "Finally! More than ten feet!" she cheered, and in her happiness, gave the male a hug, which she retracted immediately. "Forgive me, Hitsugaya-taichou," she muttered.

"Don't worry about it," he chuckled. Tenatively, he took her hand in his own, squeezing it softly. Rukia smiled while a dark flush formed on her face. "And call me Toushiro."

"R-Really?"

"Of course."

"Rukia."

"Yes?"

"...I love you too."

A wide smile crossed the woman's face. "Toushiro." Cautiously, she neared her face to his. Realising her intention with a small smile of his own, the taichou clossed the remaining space.

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Toushiro felt the attack before it came, and a good thing too, as he wouldn't want to be in his office at the moment it was dismantled. "Hope you're paying for that, Kurosaki; I sure as-" he began, but was cut off by another half moon of energy. "Kurosaki?" he asked again after jumping out of the way.

Ichigo looked... kinda crazy. But not standard Ichigo-crazy. This was a new crazy, but not that new an emotion; Hitsugaya knew he'd seen it before, if only he could place it...

"Getsuga Tenshou!" he called out again, and the building was offically a wreck. The tensai hoped everyone had gotten out of it. It was a Saturday, at least, not many people were in.

"Kurosaki!" he yelled, landing once more, sword still sheathed. "What the hell are you pulling?"

"Would you like to explain to me, Toushiro," the taller asked darkly. "Why my sixteen year old daughter is pregnant?"

"Preg...?" Teal eyes went wide, and for a moment, the male could feel any air in him. "Rukia... is...?" All of a sudden, he seemed to snap out of it. "Why do you have a problem now? You were fine with her seeing me before!"

"I THOUGHT YOU KNEW BETTER!" Ichigo roared, another attack coming the tensai's way.

That was the look; livid father, the other realised, flash-stepping out of the way. Now he knew to make a point not to do anything but dodge, for his own saftely. Toushiro knew he could hold his own in a fight, but a fight with a pissed-off Ichigo Kurosaki... he hoped the Hollow side of the man wasn't feeling playful.

"You know I'm not going to abandon her," he told him now. "I can't fathom why you're so angry."

"I also 'knew' you wouldn't put her in this situation. She's not even out of highschool yet, Toushiro!"

Ok, he was down to talking. Good. "It's not as if I forced myself on her, you know," he practically growled, effectively pissed off as well that the other apparently thought so little of him.

Ichigo sighed, then after a pause, sheathed his zanpakuto. "Yeah, I do. You just couldn't let me have a couple rounds, huh?"

"Hell no. And personally, I can't wait to see the look on the chotaichou's face when you explain that to him," the tensai replied, pointing at the half-demolished building. For the first time, the other's brown eyes surveyed the damage.

"...Dammit."

"Will you ever learn to think before you act?"

"I'm not ready to be an old man yet," he grinned.

The taichou bristled at the implication. "It's not age, it's recognizing responsibility!" he snarled.

"Sure, sure. I think I'll be going now."

"Aren't you forgetting something?" a new voice asked. The orange haired male turned to see Byakuya Kuchiki on the premisies. He'd been cheerier (for him, anyway), since visiting his reincarnated sister. "Surely, you weren't going to leave before properly apologising to the chotaichou for the chaos you've caused?"

Ichigo swallowed hard; he very much had, and the sixth division taichou knew it. "Lead the way, Byakuya," he said, trying not to show how nervous he was.

As much as Toushiro wanted to follow the two, he had another visit he needed to make- to Rukia.

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It took little time for him to reach the Kurosaki household, and Tatsuki seemed realived to see him. "He didn't cause too much trouble, did he?"

"Demolished a building."

"Only one?"

"Mine."

"Better than all of Seireitei," she shrugged. "At least he had some focus."

Toushiro scoffed. "If you say so. Is Rukia home?"

"She stayed after today. I was about to leave, actually; we have a meeting with the principal. You have some time to run down to Urahara's if you want to come along."

From the creepy way she was smiling at him, it seemed the smart decision. "Ten minutes," he told her.

"You have five!" she called after the shinigami.

Toushiro kept his grumbling to himself; both parents were pissed at him- great. He had no idea how Rukia felt on the matter though, and that was the opinion he wanted most.

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Why was everyone blaming him from Rukia's pregnancy? The principal stared him down the entire meeting like he was the scum of the earth for not having a condom with a willing woman. It wasn't as if this had been planned; this ass didn't realize just how dangerous this pregnancy was. While the child had been concieved while they were both in spiritual forms, Rukia's re-enterance into her body could mess with the child's physical and mental growth.

For once, he was glad how young he looked, the man knowing she was dating someone much older would make this so much worse. He himself was gripping the sides of the chair quite hard in an effort to keep himself in check. Rukia was around here somewhere, he could feel her, but was either not invited or chose-

Knock, knock. "Principal?"

"Ah, yes, Rukia, come in." She did so, taking a seat by her lover (much to his concealed delight) as he continued. "Your mother was just telling me you plan to drop out and get your GED. You know we would always welcome you back after your child was born. Even if you wanted to stay-"

"Thank you, Principal, but I feel this is the best course," she replied confidantly after taking Toushiro's hand into her own. "I've always maintained a good GPA and Toushiro's pretty smart himself; this is something we can accomplish together." She smiled at the tensai then, giving him a kiss on his slightly reddened cheek.

"Rukia, will all due respect, most girls feel that way at first, but can find the fathers of their children, well, lacking."

Toushiro's anger flared, but was nothing to Rukia's; the air gained a chill that had not been there seconds prior. "You're insinuating this man, that has done so much for me, would not continue to be everything he possibly could for not only me, but his child as well?" she demanded before her love could.

"I-I'm just asking you to think th-this through, is all," the man shivered with a glance at the thermostat.

"Kick it down a notch, will ya?" Tatsuki whispered to Toushiro.

"That's mostly Rukia," he whispered back. "Calm down," his muttered to his love, kissing her neck. "Your mother's cold."

"Sorry," she muttered back, loud enough for the other female to hear.

"It's all right," she replied. "Well, thank you for your time, Principal, but it Rukia has made her decision; we'll be going now."

"Mrs. Kurosaki, your daughter-"

"Has. Made. Her. Decision. She may be young, but I have no doubt she can accomplish whatever she sets her mind to, no matter the obstacle."

The principal's frown was deep. "...I see."

"Good day."

"Good day, Mrs. Kurosaki, Rukia. Toushiro." He said the last with a touch of agression, as if his love's decision was all the tensai's doing as well.

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"I'm surprised you're here," Rukia said to him as they walked to the car.

"Ichigo stopped by; informed me of what was going on."

"Where is he, but the way?" she asked her mother.

"Still cleaning up, I'd wager," Tatsuki smirked.

"Indeed," Tushiro agreed, then clarified, "He took out some of his annoyance at the situation on my building."

"That idiot!" Rukia fumed. "I told him not to do anything reckless!"

"Yes, but does he ever listen?" her mother asked at the car. "Get in, you two; I'll give you a ride home."

Rukia put her head on his shoulder inside the vechile, almost immediately falling asleep. He smiled, running his fingers through her soft raven hair. Toushiro had wanted to talk to her more, but this certainly worked as well; he had a better understanding of what would be happening, and knew Rukia held no contempt towards him- that was enough.

For now, anyway. The rest would come with time.

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A/N: Please don't ask me when this will be updated, cus it won't be. As-is one shot. Hope you enjoyed.^^


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